Mariners claim former 1st-round OF Phil Ervin off waivers from Reds
Sep 3, 2020, 12:07 PM
The Mariners claimed OF Phil Ervin, a 2013 first-round pick, off waivers from the Reds. (Getty)
(Getty)
The MLB trade deadline may have passed, but that doesn’t mean Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto can’t still add to his team. He did just that on Thursday, claiming outfielder Phil Ervin off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.
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Ervin, 28, was the Reds’ first-round pick in 2013 after a standout collegiate career at Samford University. He has played at the MLB level every year since 2017 and is a career .250 hitter with 17 home runs, 64 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. Ervin has also appeared in games at all three outfield spots.
His best year came in 2019 when he set career highs in games played (94), hits (64) and batting average (.271), and also tied a Reds record with six hits in one game.
But after a solid 2019 campaign, Ervin has struggled in 19 games this year, hitting just .086 with no extra base hits or RBIs. He was designated for assignment last week.
In seven years in the minors (614 games) Irvin has a .256/.348/.412 slash line with 61 home runs, 323 RBIs and 153 stolen bases.
In addition to claiming Ervin off of waivers, the Mariners made another roster move, adding right-handed pitcher Walker Lockett, 26, to the team’s active roster. Lockett, like Ervin, was recently claimed off waivers. He has a 1-0 record with a 5.63 ERA this year in eight innings for the New York Mets.
The Mariners are once again off on Thursday due to a positive COVID-19 test from a member of the Oakland Athletics organization, but the team returns to action Friday against in Seattle against the Texas Rangers after three days off.
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